CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 19

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEURS. T3E house cup race. DWIGHT WINS FOR SECOND TIMEFIXTURES. Saturday, March- 21.—Sports at Domain. CimHar. March 22. —Run to Bethel's. Pongonby Reservoir 8 a.m. Wednesday. March 25.—One Mile Junior and Senior, Stadium. "The best race that has ever been held for the cup," was the general opinion expressed by those who had witnessed the previous annual races for the House Clip after witnessing the fifth annual event last ■ Thursday ' at (5.15 p.ffl. The event was decided by the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club, to whom Mr. W. House, of Mangere, donated the cup in,l92G for annual competition on the track over a stipulated distance of'five miles. A biglSeldr of 18 seniors simultaneously and it is a credit to the individual riders that, despite the fast pace and bunched riding,, formation., 15 finished, the other three being compelled to retire. After six laps of the 17 had been covered all bar the four back markers had bunched. Wade, Mackie and Dwight occupied the scratch mark, while Casey was next with 200 yds start. Unlike in the usual coursc of handicap racing the, front men did not reduce their "speed when they bunched. Every lap the lead changed hands and everyone who went out did so- with the express purpose of giving the scratch men a hard run. It was confidently anticipated that the scratch riders would get up and account for the placings, for Handicapper Jack Auckram could not give the- limit men more than 490 yds start owing to the new restrictions placed upon handicap races by the New Zealand Union of Cyclists. The restriction states that the limit cannot be more than 20vds 6hort of the circumference of a lap. This rule is to prevent any rider from receiving a lap or more start. It was during the eleventh lap that excitement commenced to run high when Angus Mackie bolted away from the other three back men and. collected in the 100 yds separating him

from the leaders, on his own after going a lap full out. Wade,. Dwight and Casey answered with a similar buret and reached their objective with 44 laps to go. Three, Hansen, Borland and Gallagher, had retired up to this, stage. At four laps to go Eric Mullane, 380 yds. went out and did a fast lap; at three to go Gordon Whitehouse, 380 yds, followed suit; at two to go Leu Dwight kept up the good work,* but with one lap and a half to go tE. D. Andrews, 470 yds, who had done much of the pacing work during the earlier stages, rushed out just at a time when the scratch riders were looking for someone to open, up the big bunch for them. When lap steward, Mr. R. J. Mackrell rang the. bell, after 16 laps of suspense, Andrews was in the lead followed closely by Les Dwight, Mullane, Wade, Mackie and H. R. Dwight. Wade shot into the lead down the back stretch, held it'till j the home straight, when, Mackie came past. . Dwight came bearing, down at terrific speed to snatch victory almost from Mackie's Hands, only half a -whe'el difference being "visible -in Dwight *s favoucjtt theJine: - It. F as a splendidfinish and the,closest and most thrilling that has ever terminated the five miles House €?up race. A pleasant-feature of the event was the fact. that sill the previous winners,. H. R. Dwight; • 192.7, J. H. Wade, 19*28,. and< E. A. Cleaver, 1930, bar L. B. Roberts,l92!J,' Who is now in Welling ton, were competitors." -C Dwight Wins ih Record Time. To Hen. R. Dwight goes the honour of being the first rider to have his name engraved on the cup twice. The first race, run on February 16, 1927, Dwight won from the ridiculously long mark of 500 yds. .This particular race was run on the Domain grass track, and Dwight's start equalled one lap and 00yds from the lone scratch rider on that occar sion, Mv P. Byrnes. Since 1927 Dwight has graduated steadily, until to-day he can claim to be the foremost track exponent in Auckland, having beaten, at some time or .other, every rider he has come into contact with during the past couple of seasons.' Angus Mackie, who finished second to Dwight, earned quite a reputation last, season tiding behind motor cycle pace. But in ordinary competitions Mackie is equallyat home, as he has often instanced. At the earthquake relief meeting last month he defeated both Dwight and W a 4e in the special sprint match races. Jack H. Wade's name has been associated with the House Cup since 1928 r Men he won the event from a field of 18 starters at the Auckland Domain gras3 has been consistently successful at -5 miles.

'I: Junior Mile Race. Junior Len. Oxton has been improving 60 rapidly during the last couple of months that few were surprised to see him lead home a field of his pals last We ek irrtheir mile scamper. He clocked 2m lis from .the ,60yds mark. Sixteen, started. • At the treacherous Kumeu track on February 21 last he won the junior event. Since breaking the ice on that date he has quickly jumped to the Another Avondale ankler, S. J. Ward, J3oyds,-. was second. His challenge to Oxton in the Sprint marks him as a nder who will have to be. reckoned with. , er the last 100 yards of a race is the place to size up a track cyclist. Ward's jjpish was decidedly impressive, both in Is heait, when he chased Gough home, "?nd in the final. Ward won the last junior mile off 190 yds. The "vegetable town"-.Pads must have had a. round able conference before last week's » for another of their number, I. C. llinij .100 yds,' filled third place, after inning his heat in 2m 10s. Perhaps n er ® js something in a vegetarian dietl i cratcli junior Gough did well to win his , j 2m 14s, but the final was. a race, and when he got his field at a - ' a P ?° he bad no reserve er ?y to contest the sprint. Union's Picnic. The Cyclists and their friends spent-ia °st enjoyable day at Matiatia last la i r^'- 0n occasion of the New Zeaalli, on . °f Cyclists', first picnic, which hope will be made an annual affair. K eil ®inutes before the boat's departure on G. Foubister caused some amuseent his hat blew off and drifted woss -.the waters. It was a good 80 Foubister changed into a /''gut' red bathing suit, dived overof 3r f' recoveref l it* It looked, out place : on his head as he swam back. «ore the boat left he was up again on c ck quietly doing the rounds in mufti. u t this is only one of the many I f S «? ees w here he has earned the name of Speedy." All connected with amateur cycling 1 1 regret to learn that Jim C. Stewart as had to resign from an executive apacity on the New Zealand Union of Cyclists,